


They Won't Know (Until It Will Be Too Late)

by i_amthecosmos



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Child Abuse, Established Relationship, Forced Prostitution, Homophobia, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, Murder Plot, jaylos plots together, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-19 23:29:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19365874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_amthecosmos/pseuds/i_amthecosmos
Summary: Carlos wondered if this was true evil, to want to do anything for a person. Or was it true love? Was it both?





	They Won't Know (Until It Will Be Too Late)

**Author's Note:**

> I was free writing and then this happened. I am so sorry.

Carlos always thought that Jay was a surprise, something he didn’t deserve but had shown up in his life anyway. When Jay laughed with him or they ran around the island, it seemed like they were made to be friends. Then one night, Jay pulled him into a dark corner and kissed him.

Carlos didn’t expect it to happen again, but it did. And again. Finally, one night they were alone in their secret lair, and Jay slowly undressed him.

When they were done, sweaty and holding each other, Carlos made three promises to himself. One, that he would stay with Jay as long as Jay wanted him. Two, he wouldn’t fuck anyone else. And the hardest, he wouldn’t expect the same from Jay. He knew what Jay did, to distract girls from their things, so he decided he could live with it.

It seemed doable at the time.

...

It was hard not to expect someone you’re with not to be with others. Especially when you’ve made a silent vow to never do the same. Carlos tried like hell not to resent it, but seeing Jay kissing or flirting with girls made him tense. Mostly, he just walked away.

Jay noticed. He wasn’t stupid, despite what some people said. When Carlos gave him the cold shoulder after he came back from a girl’s bedroom, Jay always looked frustrated but ashamed at the same time. And somehow, Jay would come back and be clingy, just when Carlos didn’t want to touch him. And at the same time, it’s not like he could say anything. He’d never told Jay what he’d decided on.

You can only fight without words for so long. They were at the lair that they shared with Mal and Evie, and Jay had come back from a night out, smelling like cheap perfume and with some lipstick on his neck. Carlos turned to walk away.

“Carlos. Carlos, talk to me.” Jay sounded on edge. Carlos turned to look at him. “Look, just call me a bastard and get it over with. I hate it when you won’t talk to me.” 

“Okay. You’re a bastard.” Carlos had an edge in his voice that he never would have had six months ago, and it made Jay flinch. “Did you get her stuff? Did you make a big enough score? Does that justify it?”

He could see Mal and Evie take their coffees and quietly leave. 

“Yeah. I got lots. Already dropped it off at Dad’s.” Jay wasn’t backing down, and Carlos kind of hated him then. “Look. It’s work. It’s just work. I don’t even want them. So you’re disgusted with me? Fine. Makes two of us.” Carlos watched as Jay’s face contorted. “I have to do this. I have to keep acting the way I used to so Dad won’t suspect. You know what he says about you when you’re not there?”

Carlos already knew the answer to that. “He calls me a faggot,” he said. “He’s been saying that since I was nine. He’s never liked me. It’s nothing new.” Jay stared at him, looking scared and angry and some things Carlos wasn’t sure were.

“See, that’s not even about you,” Carlos said, walking closer to Jay. Jay took a step back. “Your dad’s lost his touch, he probably has no idea about us. So don’t use that as an excuse.” 

“It’s not an excuse!” Jay looked furious then, and Carlos suddenly remembered that he was smaller and weaker than Jay. That Jay had protected him so far, but that could be withdrawn at any time. He cringed back. “And he has an idea, trust me. You’re not the only person he’s been calling that.” 

Carlos stared. He’d always thought of Jay as mostly straight. That Jay being with him was a fluke, almost an accident. But it looked like that was wrong. “Why do you have to fuck them, that’s the issue. You could do something else, you could lie…” Jay shook his head. “Why not?” 

“I’m too far in. My dad knows everything. If I started being a tease, he would know. And...” Jay trailed off. “That’s not all of it.”

Carlos felt cold from dread them. Something really awful was happening. “Jay. What do you mean?”

“He whores me out.” Carlos felt his heart crash into his chest. “He whores me out. He uses me to pay debts. He expects me to use sex because that’s what he does. But he can’t do it himself because he’s an old fat fuck and I’m...me.” Jay’s face crumpled, and Carlos thought that maybe he would cry.

Carlos didn’t know what to say. He knew Jafar was a horrible person, but he didn’t think he’d go that far. “Jay...” he said. He took a step closer, and Jay backed up. 

“No. You said it, I’m disgusting. I’m terrible. Maybe you should go while you can. You don’t need to be messed up with me.” Jay looked like he was going to bolt. If he got to the window, he would be out of it before Carlos could catch him. 

“I didn’t say that,” he said. When Jay was about to say something back, Carlos sprung on him. He tackled Jay, so they both went to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. “Sorry,” he said. Jay laid back, terrified and unable to move, his breath hitching. “I didn’t want you to run away.” 

“Fuck. You. That. Hurt.” Jay said, trying to breathe normally. Carlos ignored that and straddled him. 

“You think I’ll let you go that easily?” Carlos said. “You? Nope. I won’t. And...fuck. I don’t know what to do.” He put his hands on Jay’s chest. “I’m sorry I got jealous.” 

“You don’t need this shit,” Jay croaked out. “I can’t believe you’ve even stayed with me this long. I’m hurting you. You should go.” Carlos shook his head. “I mean it. We’ve done the best we could, I guess.”

“No. We’ll find a way to fix this.” Jay just stared at him. “Now I know what’s going on, that makes a big difference. Jay...I want to stay with you. I never want to leave even when you’re hurting me.” Carlos moved off Jay then. “But I won’t stop you if that’s what you want.” 

Jay sat up, holding the back of his head. Then he slowly got to his feet, stretching his arms over his head. Carlos sat on the floor, waiting to see if Jay went out a window or down the stairs. Instead, he just sat on the bed. Carlos watched as he wrapped his arms around his waist and rocked back and forth.

Carlos walked over slowly, and stood over Jay. Jay looked up at him like he was ready to bolt, to change his mind and run. Carlos took his shirt off, dropping it on the floor.

“Can’t fix this with fucking,” Jay said, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. 

Carlos didn’t listen to him. Instead, he sat on the bed next to Jay and leaned into his space. Jay covered his eyes with his hand, and Carlos kissed his cheek.

“I guess this is what love is,” Jay said, his voice cracking. “It hurts so much. We won’t even leave when we should. No wonder our parents hate it.” Jay was crying and still trying to hide it. Carlos kissed his cheek again, brushing some of Jay’s hair back.

“Our parents are cowards,” he said. “We’re stronger than them. Think about it, your dad was high status, my mom had all the money she could ever need. But they both wanted more and lost it all. And we grew up here. They would never survive this place if they were our age.”

Jay didn’t answer. But he moved his hand and looked at Carlos. Carlos felt the same gnawing, helpless love that Jay had written all over his face. “We can do it Jay. I love you. And you admitted it just now. But we have to find a way to deal with this, even if it’s just me changing my expectations. And we need to keep you safe.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Jay muttered, but Carlos didn’t listen to him.

“Your dad needs to be stopped somehow. This is hurting you, and I can’t have that,” Carlos said. 

“What? Your mother hurts you-she hurts you worse, far as I’m concerned, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s the same for me.” Jay changed his position, straightening his legs in front of him and bracing on his arms, looking straight ahead. “We can’t touch them. They have minions, they have power over us. And if anything happens, we’re the first suspects.”

“Only if they find the bodies.” Carlos said it as a gristly joke, a throwaway. But the expression on Jay’s face chilled him. It went from surprised, to excited, to happy.

“Would you?”

Carlos wondered then if this was true evil. Being willing to do anything for a person. Or was it true love? Was it both? 

“If I could, yeah.” Carlos didn’t want this to be his first choice. But he couldn’t think of a second.

“I wish we could run away,” Jay said. Carlos put his head on Jay’s shoulder. Jay put an arm around him. “I don’t think I’m going to leave you,” he said softly. “And I hope you stay. But yeah, we need to come up with a solution.” 

“Do you really think we could?” Carlos didn’t know if he was capable of real violence against his mother. She had him terrified for his entire life. But Jafar- he probably could. He felt like wringing his neck right then. “I can’t believe he does that to you.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s disgusting. He’ll pimp me out to anyone and then beat me when I come back for getting fucked by the men he set me up with.” Jay laughed then, dry and hollow. “So if you ever wondered why I don’t like it that way, well. Let’s say my experiences aren’t good.”

“I don’t care,” Carlos said. “I don’t expect it, I just like being with you.” None of that mattered to him. What they had was more than he’d ever ask for. “But I hate that it’s happening to you. I want to make it stop.” 

“We’ll have to plan, if we do anything at all.” Jay went into his pocket then, and pulled out a knife. “In the meantime, keep this. Use it when you have to.” Carlos looked at the knife. It had a beautiful antique handle, black and with a lot of pretty designs. The sheath was real leather. Carlos slid it into a pocket.

“Next time your mom hits you, try pulling that out. You don’t have to stab her, but if she knows you’ve got one, she might back off.”

“I’ll have to live here full-time if I do,” Carlos said. 

“I’d like that,” was all Jay said. They sat that way for a few more minutes, then they got up. It was very early, and while most couldn’t see through the windows in their place, better to be safe than sorry. They walked to the tiny windowless bathroom, and Carlos cleaned Jay up. He got an old washcloth and wiped off the perfume and lipstick. Jay stood there with his shirt off and eyes closed, letting him. Then he kissed Jay, claiming him the way Jay did to him. As he sunk to his knees, he thought about what he was willing to do to keep what he had.

…

They mostly went on with their lives after that. Jay didn’t stop what he was doing, but Carlos felt less jealousy as time when on. They fucked and played cards and caused trouble. But sometimes when they were alone, they plotted.

They kept trying to find a good way to get at them, but their plans kept being stalled. They were both just too big to disappear without being missed. And Carlos was scrawny. Taking Jafar by himself might be impossible.

“Maybe we should tell Mal, she could help us plan.” Jay shook his head. “Why not?”

“Don’t want to get her into this,” he said. “And I never told her what my dad’s done. She’d kill him herself if she knew. She wouldn’t be subtle about it either.” 

Carlos knew what he meant. He’d once seen Mal slash a rival’s face in broad daylight. She didn’t care who she hurt or pissed off when the stakes were high enough. “True. But we could still use her, and if she finds out we’re trying this behind her back, she’ll be kicking our asses.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, maybe we should.” Jay curled up next to him, they were lying on their mattress on the floor. “I’ll think about it. But for now, let’s just forget about it.” He kissed Carlos, possessive hand on Carlos’s neck.

…

For a few weeks, things seemed to go back to normal. They said nothing to the others, and Carlos spent a few days at home, cleaning up. 

“Where have you been running off to, boy?” His mother was up from her nap, grumpy and hungover. “You never spend time with your poor mother anymore.” Carlos said nothing, just washed the dishes. Just then, she came up behind him and yanked the collar to his shirt down. Carlos tensed, remembering the love bites Jay had left there last night. They went down the back of his neck, and a couple on his shoulder blades. _Shit_

“Oh, so you’ve found yourself a bed companion. At your age! Who is it?” Cruella spun him around, slapping him hard enough that his vision blurred. “It’s a man, isn’t it? They’re on your back, you must have been taking it from behind. Disgusting! Who taught you about those things?” Cruella raised her hand again, and Carlos grabbed his knife. He pulled it out, and aimed it at her neck.

His mother stopped in her tracks, he face going from fury to pure shock. Carlos held the knife in front of him, the way Jay had told him. “You leave me alone,” he said, his voice gravely. He was terrified, but he stood his ground. “Don’t ever fucking hit me again.” 

“Darling, I...just want to find out who’s doing this to you.” Her voice became calm and pleading. “You can’t possibly like it, can you? So filthy...” Cruella looked like she was trying distract him, to get the knife, and Carlos held it tighter. “Is he paying you? Giving you food?” She looked him up and down. “You seem to have filled out. You’re getting gifts and keeping them from me?” She reached for his hand, trying to get it.

Carlos took a step forward, and Cruella stepped back, putting her hands up. “I don’t care what you think. My life doesn’t belong to you anymore. I’m never coming back. You clean your own house.” He backed up towards the door, keeping the knife pointed at her. Then he ran town the street, his mother screaming that she would find him.

…

He wound up hiding at their apartment for over a week. The rest of them brought Carlos food and tried to keep him safe. But everyone on the Isle knew that Carlos had somehow stood up to his mom, and how she had her goons looking for him.

When Carlos told Jay what he’d done, he was ecsatic first, but then he went quiet. “We have to do something, ‘Los. I think...we need to take our plans to the next level.” Jay was standing over him, with a cold cloth against his eye. Jafar had gotten in a lucky swing.

“Well, if this is going to get beyond just you and me talking about it, you know what we’ll have to do.” 

...

They did tell Mal and Evie after that. It went about as well as Carlos had expected. 

“He’s doing what to you?” Mal stood up, glaring at Jay. “I’ll kill him myself, I’ll kill him with my bare hands, I don’t care who sees me...” Evie went over and tried to calm Mal down by whispering something in her ear. “No, Evie, _no_ , this has to stop right away…”

“We have to do this carefully,” Carlos said. Mal’s eyes widened, and Carlos realized he’d never stood his ground with her before. “Our parents have high status, they’ll be missed. This can’t get back to us. We’re working on a plan, but we need help.”

“So far, all that’s for sure is I’m gonna take care of Cruella, and Carlos my dad,” Jay said. “It’ll be easier this way. I’m not scared of her like he is.”

“And vice versa.” Jay made a face but didn’t argue. Evie raised her hand. ‘Huh? This isn’t class.”

“I’m volunteering to help,” she said in her sweetest voice. “I can help with Cruella. She thinks I’m a nice, well-bred girl.” Carlos looked at her with wonder. He never suspected that she had it in her. But Evie knew more about what his mother had done to him than anyone else in the room, even Jay. 

“That’s good,” Mal said. “She’ll lower her defenses.” And here the four of them were, plotting a double murder. Carlos didn’t even know who he was anymore. But he still wanted to do it. He had to do it.

He had to protect what was his, after all.

…

They spent the next two months coming up with a plot. It was complicated, but they had to be careful not to get tripped up by too many loose ends. It was eventually decided that Evie would help Jay take Cruella, and Mal would help Carlos get Jafar. They went through knives, poison, garroting, and many other methods of murder, and eventually decided that smothering would be the easiest method for all of them. They found the best place to hide the bodies. They had their schedules memorized. They picked a date.

They were all tightly bonded by their plan, almost feeling like one unit. Mal was even considering doing away with her mother if this worked. After all, Maleficent might suspect the truth. 

Evie was still too close to the Evil Queen by the ten years they spent alone together, so she said nothing about killing her. Evie was a great planner though. She was the one who reminded them that they couldn’t kill Jafar and Cruella on the same day. “At least a month needs to pass,” she said, filing her nails. “Because if they both go missing on the same day, suspicion will fall on you two. There’s already rumors about how Carlos got accepted by you and Mal so quickly.” 

“Evie’s right. We need to make this look like a serial killer.” Mal looked at their date. “Who wants to go first, then?” 

“I’m taking down the bitch first,” Jay said immediately. His eyes glittered with pure malice and bloodlust.

Carlos had noticed a change in Jay since this started-he seemed to be looking forward to it. All the anger he kept inside had an outlet in their plan. It worried Carlos. Jay saw the look on Carlos’s face, and his expression changed. “Hey. I just want her gone because of what she’s done to you.” 

“I know,” Carlos said. He still hoped that Jay wouldn’t get a taste for this. Carlos wasn’t at all relishing the idea of killing Jafar. He only hoped he could do his part and not leave Mal with the majority of the work. She wouldn’t like that.

Mal cleared her throat. “All right, that sounds good. Jay goes first. And we’ll give it a month, maybe more, and me and Carlos will take Jafar. Carlos, be sure to have something fixed to take to him.”

“No problem,” Carlos said. He had several things picked out, things he knew Jafar would want for the shop. He was still fixing things for Jafar, even though he knew what he was saying about him behind his back. (A couple of times to his face.) No matter. It just helped feed the disgust he had. 

Carlos took a deep breath. They both deserved it. They had no redeeming qualities, and probably never did. They’d had this coming a long, long time.

Carlos hoped he didn’t chicken out. 

…

The date was coming for his mother’s demise. He hadn’t been by since that last time, but she wasn’t actively looking for him anymore. Knowing her, she had just become bored. But he wasn’t going to try and seek her out If she didn’t beat him senseless, she might try her old standby of manipulation. He didn’t want to get fooled into feeling sorry for her.

Jay seemed to be just waiting for the day to arrive. Again, it worried Carlos. He would snuggled Jay and remind him what it was all for. “We’re doing this for each other. Okay?”

“I know. And I know this was your idea, to avenge me,” he said. “But...they need to be gone. And I can’t do anything about what she’s already done. But I can stop her from doing more.” 

“Yeah.” Carlos wondered if it really was that easy. Just because Jafar was gone, didn’t mean the men that he owed wouldn’t try to get at Jay on their own. He wasn’t sure what to do about that. He didn’t mention it to Jay, not wanting to upset him. 

Also, getting rid of their parents would mean other villains would rise. At least, it wouldn’t be ones out to hurt them specifically. Carlos kissed Jay’s shoulder, as they lay on their old mattress. 

“It’ll be okay,” he said. He wasn’t sure who he was reassuring, himself or Jay.

…

Then something they never, ever, could have expected happened: A royal decree. They were going to Auradon. Right then, immediately. 

This came three days before it would be Jay’s chance at Cruella. Jay and Carlos looked at each other in disbelief. Their parents were thrilled, of course, and chattered about the plan they would all get together on to take over Auradon. Cruella even seemed to have forgotten about Carlos pulling a knife on her. Jay and Carlos went along with it, smiling, agreeing, yes, whatever you say.

And all Carlos could do was look at Jafar and think _You have no idea how close you came._

The night they got to Aurado, they all went through the motions of getting the wand. Carlos noticed that Jay was off. He was angry. But he didn’t say anything about it. They got back to their rooms and then went to school.

It was that night that he caught Jay staring into the mirror. “Jay,” he said. 

“We had them,” he said, looking like he didn’t recognize himself. “We had them right there. They got away from us.” Then Jay looked like he was going to punch the mirror, and Carlos grabbed his hand. 

“No, don’t hurt yourself,” he said. “We got away. We’re far away from them now. They don’t mean anything. We don’t have to because we’re never going to see them again, with any luck.” Carlos pulled Jay away from the mirror. “He’s not there,” he said. “He’s not in you.”

“He is. He is and I don’t want him there. He needs-he deserves-”

“I know. But...I’m glad.” Jay stared at him. “I would have gone through with it. I said I would. But I was afraid of what it would do to us.” Carlos looked at Jay. “You...you really wanted to do it.”

“I did.” Jay’s eyes went flinty. “I wanted to make her pay! I can see what she did to you, how you flinch when you hear a loud noise, the scars on your chest! I hate it! Shit, I’m scaring you now.” Carlos had backed up. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Carlos said, trying to calm his pounding heart. He sat on one of the beds and breathed deep. “Look,” he said when he’d calmed down a little. “I give her another five years, at the most. She drinks that rotgut every day, smokes all the time, and just generally in bad health. She won’t last. And Jafar is going to piss off the wrong person soon enough.” 

Jay was pacing, still tensed up. “I guess so,” he finally said. “But, we could’ve gotten them back...”

“We got out,” he said. “Ben did us the biggest favor and he will never know it. We don’t have to become like them now. We don’t have to be killers. And I will hope every day that your father suffers for what he did to you. But it’s not important that we do it ourselves.” 

 

Jay stared at him, seeming confused. Carlos laid back and held his arms out. “Come here.” Jay sat on the bed first, taking off his sneakers, and then curled up with Carlos. Carlos put his mouth to Jay’s ear. “It’s over. You can let it go.”

“I can’t...” Jay sounded like he was breaking inside.

“You can. I know you can’t let go of everything he did, but you can let this go.” Jay sighed, and Carlos just kissed his cheek. “Let it go,” he whispered, trying to calm him down. “We’re gone. Doesn’t matter. We still have each other, I love you.” 

“Yeah. You’re right. I’ve got you and you’re safe. We should just...learn to live with what they did. Get better. Oh god, I never have to bend over for those fucks ever again.’ Then Jay started to cry.

Carlos grabbed him tight, whispering to him that everything was okay. That they’d protect each other, learn how to adjust to Auradon. That everything would be okay. 

Things did get better. The four of them slowly learned how to navigate Auradon, although they were not anyone but Ben’s favorites. Carlos could see all of them healing- Evie was eating more. Mal’s impatience and anger was being tempered by some kindness. Carlos could feel himself open up more.

Jay found sports, which was an outlet for his anger and his pain. He also insisted that Carlos do that with him, but he didn’t mind so much. Jay kept up his shell in front of everyone else, but privately, Carlos could see him become happier and more relaxed.

Sometimes though, Carlos caught him looking out towards the Isle. Or to the limos that could get through the barrier. Half the time the keys would actually be left in them. Aurdonians were so trusting. Carlos knew he was thinking of grabbing the keys, stealing the limo, and finishing off their pact. 

“I could do it,” he whispered one time when he found Carlos staring. “I could.” 

“I know,” Carlos said, and he guided Jay back to their dorm. On the way, Carlos felt an emptiness, because this was his fault. He’d opened up this darkness in Jay, and it was his job to make it go away. It was going to take a while. 

He hoped that they would be whole again, even with both of them knowing what they were capable of. He hoped so.


End file.
